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Hey shisters its been a while, but here I am once again. Over the course of the year I have been learning all about child development and what and how it is to interact with them. Today was my first day ever spending time with kids as I volunteered at a preschool but already I have learned so much! If you are struggling or maybe don’t know how to approach children here are 5 easy tips that anyone can follow. Thank you to Chelsea for these tips at the channel How To Adult. So let’s get started.
- Kids are human too: It is so easy to use baby talk or talk down to children, but it is important to remember that you can speak to a child the same way you do with anyone else. Kids are human too and they can sense
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when they are not being treated kindly. They also understand more than what they are credited it for. If you ask a one year old child to point to where a ball is, they could tell you so. Speaking properly to children as opposed to baby talk is also beneficial in helping them with their cognitive, language development. Always treat them kindly and remember how good it felt when as a child you were treated with respect by an adult.
- Play Along: Kid’s play may seem silly and even a little odd at times but to them it is all very fun so play along with them. Find the inner child in yourself and take the opportunity to be silly and make weird faces and do all the crazy fun things that you can’t do around others. Cut loose and
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expand you imagination. Let it run wild! You’ll be surprised of how much fun you can have. A rock can be a mysterious secret treasure! Or a huge pile of dirt a cake, soup and tea!
- Have Patience: Sometimes it may be too hot, you didn’t get enough sleep, or you have been having a bad day, but remember than none of these things are the child’s fault so do not take it out on them. You as the adult or older person in the relationship have to take in account that you are a role model and what you do is what you are teaching the child to do. Proper coping mechanisms is a very important thing that children are learning in these early years of their lives so it is essential that you guide them co-regulate their emotions and that starts with your behavior. Patience is also of the essence because
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children love repetition. One game can go on forever until a child gets bored with it so all you can do is go with it. Today for example my kids played sharks for at least 10 minutes straight. What the game essentially was was yelling shark whenever someone “spotted” one and then running for our lives unto a toy boat where we where all safe. Someone would take the wheel and drive really quickly until someone would jump out and “kill” the shark and then we would all be free to presume our trip to the beach. I cannot tell you how many times someone yelled shark and we all had to scramble unto the boat, but it was honestly one of the funniest and silliest games I had played in a while!
- Speak to them on Eye Level+ Listen: The simple gesture of crouching down will make you look 10 times less intimating and friendly and children will feel much more comfortable approaching you.
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Another important tip is to listen. If someone wants to play hide-e-seek than get the other little ones on board and away you go! If a kid makes a comment acknowledge it even if its random just so that they know that you are paying attention and that they are important. Little kids have so much energy and it can be difficult to keep up with everyone and all their demands but take it slow and attend to everyone one by one.
- Upon Meeting: Kids need personal space just like adults so when meeting don’t except a kiss or hug right away. Instead a wave hello or high five can do the trick. Let the child get comfortable with you at their pace, you are a stranger remember and you are also bigger and taller than they are.
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If you are meeting a smaller child wait for approval or invitation before you touch a child. They are so adorable I know! But refrain yourself from pinching their cute chipmunk cheeks right away. Give it some time and be respectful of boundaries. Once you have a connection a child may even voluntary hold your hand or hug you.
Well that is all I have for you guys. Like always thank you if you stuck around and I hope that you can take a thing or two away from this. =) Until next time.
The Tea Sis 